A new player's guide to Kill Team line of sight and cover

Kill Team line of sight, commonly shortened to LoS, determines whether an operative can see an enemy model for a normal shooting attack. It is separate from range, accuracy and cover. A visible target is not necessarily a legal target, and a target inside the weapon’s range is not automatically visible. Understanding these distinct checks prevents many early-game misunderstandings.

Cover determines whether a shooting attack can connect with a visible model. It is an abstract protection based on distance and terrain, rather than a claim that the miniature is physically hidden. Australian players should also remember that Kill Team ranges are printed in inches, while many local tables use centimetres. Three inches is approximately 7.5 cm, six inches is 15 cm, and 12 inches is about 30.5 cm.

Visibility comes before shooting

A normal shooting attack begins by checking that the operative is eligible to attack, the defending model is within the weapon’s stated range, and a legal line of sight connects them. Any restriction printed on the operative card or weapon card must also be satisfied. Range alone never establishes LoS, and LoS never extends a weapon’s maximum reach.

Kill Team does not use the firing arcs or facing restrictions found in some other Warhammer games. An operative can normally shoot towards any direction as long as the target remains within range and has LoS. This makes body position around terrain important, but it also means there is no normal bonus for firing from behind or beside another model.

Measuring line of sight at the table

To determine LoS, imagine the straightest clear line between the attacking and defending models. A normal sightline exists if that line can pass between surrounding objects without being blocked by the base or body of another model. If any usable part of the target remains visible, the target has LoS; the operative does not need a completely clear view of its entire miniature.

The usual tabletop method is to rest the end of a ruler or similar straight object on the table at the attacking model and sight along it. Do not lift the attacker to obtain a better angle, lift the target above scenery, or tilt the board to create visibility. The base of the measuring object should touch the table, and both models remain in the positions in which they were measured.

At a club or tournament, disputes are easier when both players use the same measuring tool and agree on where the eye-level line begins. A clear plastic template can be useful for checking a straight path, but it must be held at the prescribed table-level angle rather than moved above the models.

Models that block another model

Every operative can obstruct LoS, including a teammate. If a player places a bodyguard directly between a shooter and an enemy more than three inches away, the target may be fully visible in principle but have no usable sightline through the intervening model. This can prevent a marksman from firing even when the target is only a short distance beyond friendly models.

There is a point-blank exception. If two models are within three inches of each other, they have LoS to one another even when another model would normally block the line. This rule removes the difficulty of fighting around tightly packed operatives at knife-fighting range. It does not extend weapon range, override operative restrictions or allow a shot through dense terrain that independently blocks LoS.

The exception makes close formations tactically resilient, but bodies can still interfere with more distant shooting. Repositioning one supporting model may reveal a marksman without requiring the marksman to move into the open.

How the cover check works

A model within three inches of the attacker cannot gain cover from the normal cover check. Point-blank attacks therefore proceed directly to the shooting test once the target is valid. For a target more than three inches away, shoot a D6 to determine whether it is in cover.

The result must be equal to or greater than the shortest distance between the models, measured in inches under the game’s normal measurement rules. At four inches, a roll of four, five or six provides cover. At five inches, the target is covered on five or six, while a target at six inches is covered only on six. The result of this die roll does not change the operative’s ballistic skill or the number of hit dice produced by the attack.

When one shooting attack can affect several defenders, determine cover separately for each eligible target unless the weapon text provides a specific instruction. If a target is in cover, a normal shooting attack cannot hit it, so there is no need to roll its hit dice. An attack with Blast or Ignores Cover can still affect it. A covered operative remains a valid target, can be marked and can be approached; cover protects it only from the relevant shooting attack.

Light terrain, dense terrain and sightlines

Light terrain grants cover under the standard terrain rules without blocking normal LoS. A model can therefore be plainly visible from the opposite side of a low obstacle while still benefiting from cover. Dense terrain has the stronger obstruction role: it blocks normal LoS and shooting attacks, as well as movement through that terrain. The printed terrain classification controls the rules, even when a painted wall visually resembles another type of cover.

Terrain cards also explain whether a model can see or fire through a window or other opening. Clear plastic should not be assumed to provide a sightline merely because light passes through it. A useful Australian approach is to combine official scenery with materials such as six-millimetre MDF, foamboard or cork. Many builders source those materials from Bunnings or a specialist hobby shop, while stores in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane commonly stock bases, modelling supplies and terrain components.

Homemade scenery needs both sightline breaks and usable positions around them. This budget terrain review is useful for assessing whether an affordable board provides enough hard obstacles and light cover for varied games. Elevation is equally important, but it must come from terrain the model can legally occupy. Raising a miniature above a wall by hand does not create LoS, and a model crossing off elevated terrain may need to resolve a fall.

Weapons that interact with cover

Blast attacks are a major exception to ordinary cover rules. They can hit models that are in cover and resolve against every position covered by their template, provided the weapon’s printed attack instructions and range are satisfied. This makes Blast valuable for crossing a firing lane or punishing operatives gathered behind light terrain, but the template must be placed legally and the weapon’s area rules must still be followed.

Ignores Cover allows an attack to hit through the normal protection offered by cover or light terrain. It does not grant LoS, increase range or override a restriction against shooting altogether. Melee attacks are also unaffected by cover, although the target must still be reachable under the relevant melee rules and any ability printed on the operative card.

These exceptions should be identified before dice are rolled. A player who forgets that a weapon has Blast might incorrectly treat a covered model as untargetable. Conversely, simply owning a weapon called a pistol or rifle does not grant area denial or permission to shoot through an obstructed sightline.

Building reliable habits at Australian games

A consistent sequence prevents most LoS and cover disputes: confirm the operative can attack, measure the shortest distance, inspect the obstruction, determine LoS and then apply any applicable cover rule. Splitting those steps makes it easier to identify whether a problem is caused by range, terrain, an intervening model or the cover roll. Challenges should be resolved using the rules supplied with the game and any current event packet rather than assumptions from another Warhammer system.

Metric conversion deserves particular care. Use 7.5 cm for three inches and 15 cm for six, but retain the exact inch value when a cover threshold matters. A measured distance that falls between metric centimetres should not be rounded in whichever direction favours the attacker. Organisers can include a conversion chart in Australian event material, and players should agree on their preferred measuring tools before deployment.

Kill Team Stream recordings are also useful for hearing experienced players announce the distance, line of sight and cover result in order. Clubs around Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth often combine formal tournaments with relaxed afternoon sessions where players share snacks. Keeping food outside the battlefield and using a lidded drink avoids accidental terrain changes. That same shared sequence gives both players one clear basis for every shooting decision and keeps attention on the models rather than the measuring tools.